This is our entry for #kbcBookBingoJr
Darwin’s Origin of Books
Darwin was introduced to books very early. He now likes to read more books. Our only issue is the location we are at now which makes it really difficult to visit bookstores or to get them delivered. Even then our reading journey is on track.
Here are some of his favorites which we read and re-read.
1. A Dino Book – Follow the Trail Baby Dinosaurs by DK
This is an early stage book but being enjoyed by DMX more now. This is a board book. It has trails to follow by the little fingers. Baby dinos have to follow the glittery trail to the mother. I recommend this for 6mo+.
2. A Dr. Seuss Book – Mr. Brown Can Moo! Can You?
I wouldn’t have bought Dr. Seuss book if not for our KBC members’ recommendation. I was thinking what’s so special about Dr. Seuss books? But my God it’s so funny to read them. Especially the little ones like it. So I asked Darwin which was his favorite among two books he has, he immediately pointed to Mr. Brown Can Moo! Can you? Oh and he’s been making the sounds whenever he feels like. When he’s playing, out of the blue, with his horse, he will say Klopp Klopp like the horse. When we are in the shower he will say Dibble Dibble Dopp. I HIGHLY RECOMMEND it.
3. A Book on Shapes/Colors/Numbers – Red Car Blue Car by Little Tiger Kids
This is a pop-up book with vehicles in different colors and the song should be sung in the tune of ‘ Daddy finger daddy finger where are you?’ – it’s so entertaining and fun. I bought this recently so the pop-ups are safe. I would definitely recommend it for 0M+ since babies would definitely like to hear their parents singing it.
4. A Funny Book – Peng-Peng by Mellinam Education Pvt Limited.
It’s a bilingual board book in English and Tamil. It’s about a naughty Penguin who gets lost during a storm and reaches Chennai. This story is funny for kids and they can totally relate to it because it has a touch of our native like an idly shop, etc. This should be enjoyed as a funny and silly story. Darwin liked it because of idly and ‘Suttiyah’ (his version of ceiling fan).
5. A Fairy Tale – Hansel and Gretel push pull slide board book by Campbell
We are not fans of fairy tales, but I still wanted to introduce him to all genres so I bought him this one when he was around 1yo.
6. A Sound Book – Usborne Little Children’s Bedtime Music Book
This is such a wonderful music book. The illustrations are so good and the music is so soothing that we even fall asleep listening to it. We read this book before bedtime almost everyday. Recommended age: 3mo+.
7. A Boynton Board Book – Dinosaur Dance
We danced again and again reading this. His new favorite now.
8. A Picture Book – The Snowman by Raymond Briggs
This picture book is about a boy and the snowman who comes alive. This is our all time favorite because we both keep saying stories and we do a lot of activities with this one. Recommend it for 1.5 yo+
9. A Book by An Indian Author – Va Mazhai Pidikalam/ Let’s Catch The Rain by Vinod Lal Heera Eswar, Translated to Tamil by Jeeva Raghunath
Since we stay in the desert region, you don’t get to see a lot of rain, so to make Darwin understand the things we did as kids during rainy season, we got this book. Our visit to India and the monsoon season doesn’t match most times. But by seeing this book he asked me ‘Amma did you do things like this? Can we catch rain like this?’. I said yes and I don’t know why, but he likes this book a lot and if I ask him which Tamil book shall we read he brings this one often. A good book to enjoy rainy season in Tamil Nadu.
This book is also available in English!
10. A Yellow Colored Book – PalliKoodam Jolly Thaan by Soumya Rajendran translated to Tamil by Ah. Mangai
This story is about free Midday Meal Scheme which was introduced first in Tamil Nadu government schools. The story starts with parents asking their daughter to hurry up. Her grandmother then tells about the midday meal scheme.
This book is also available in English!
11. A Lift-the Flap book – Who’s Hiding in the Woods? by Nosy Crow
A board book with flaps to see who’s hiding in the woods behind bushes or logs or in the trees in each season and during night.
12. A Monster Book – Pip and Posy The Scary Monster
Even though we have read this book many times this one is being read with a different perspective now. After reading about monsters who stay under beds and every nook and corner Darwin started to feel so scared and he started to check everywhere for monster. A monster visits Posy on a rainy day when she’s bored and when she’s busy baking. So I told him ‘do you remember Pip and Posy story? Do you remember the monster who visits Posy in her home? Come let’s read and find out about the monster’. After reading the story he is fine knowing the monster is friendly.
13. A book on Transport / Vehicles – Play Town Emergency by Priddy Books
Anything on Wheels is Darwin’s favorite especially when it comes to Emergency Vehicles, since he sees them almost everyday – a police car patrolling the housing or the rescue fire trucks at the emergency center near the market or the ambulances that rushes during emergencies.
This board book has all the emergency vehicles and community helpers explained enough for your toddler to know. I don’t know how many times we have read this since we bought it a few months back. Highly recommend once your kid starts showing interest in emergency vehicles. Mine was interested since he was a year old.
14. A Book by Your Favorite Illustrator – Pip and Posy: The Snowy Day by Axel Scheffler
We like Axel Scheffler’s illustrations and Pip and Posy too. So this book deals with emotions. How two friends are cross and how they deal the situation later.
15. A Book That has Siblings – It Wasn’t Me by Lucy Barnard , Illustrated by Hannah Wood.
It’s a story about the consequences of their lies, when these twins who always blame their dog Patch for their misbehavior get caught. Recommended for 2.5 yo+
16. A book with a Quirky Cover – Don’t Go There by Jeanne Willis & Hrefna Bragadottir
I bought this book when we started to potty train Darwin when he was around 1.8 yo. A Martian visits earth and he needs to do his business, he just tries to go everywhere other than the lavatory. And the girl tries to teach him how to use the potty by teaching a toilet song. It’s really funny. Even though we read it when he was 1.8 yo he likes to read it now since he has learned to use the potty and he makes fun of the Martian. Recommended age 2 yo+
17. A book about Animals/Birds – Jessica Strange by Malorie Blackman and Alison Bartlett
Jessica Strange doesn’t resemble her brothers or sisters so she wants to know what kind of animal she is. So she sets on a journey around the farm to find out. It has relative comparison of sizes, and the common physical feature between animals, and farm animals shelter. It also has a valid point at the end – What matters to stay as a family…
18. A Touch and Feel Book – Little Teddy Left Behind by Anne Morgan and Joanne Moss
A family moves out and the children leave their teddy at their old place. The remaining story is what happens to the teddy and whether it reaches the children or not. The teddy is soft-to-touch material and Darwin likes to touch the teddy in every page. He really likes this one, it also taught him to be careful with his things.
19. A book That was Gifted to You – The Wonderful Things You Will Be
Thanks to the KBC Secret Santa event we got this book.
20. A Sea Creature Book – Seagull & Sea Dragon by Sydni Gregg
What does it look like to see the world from water? And how does the sea look from a bird’s view? Who are they and what are they? Seagull and Sea dragon become friends and solve their curiosity. It’s a blue colored book, all the pages are in beautiful shades of blue.
21. A book that teaches you a lesson – We’re all Wonders by R J Palacio
A wonderful book to teach kids to be kind to all and treat all equally. I personally like this book a lot.
22. A Book on Mythology – Classic Treasury Animal Stories
This Treasury has different sections of stories like friends and companions, the hunters, Tricks Traps and Mischief etc. Each section has 4 stories authored by famous authors like Rudyard Kipling, James Baldwin, Lewis Caroll, etc. One of the section is Myths and Wonders. The stories are bit big. But when we read a treasury usually I read and say the story to him in our mother tongue and after few days we read it in English. So this type of treasury is fine with us. But I would recommend it for 4.5yo+
23. A Book on Space/Solar System – The Adventures of Spartapuss – The Moon Landings Written by Anna Clothier, Illustrated by Victoria Taylor
This is a story about two adventurers who go on a trip to moon with their special space costume and rocket and meet an alien and return home. It’s so creative that Darwin started to do similar things at home. It definitely helped in his pretend play.
24. A Rhyming Book – A Bare Bear by Caz Hildebrand, Illustrated by Ashlea O’Neill
25. A One Word Title – Tree by Britta Techentrup
This is a peek through book where an owl sits in a tree and sees what’s happening around it during seasonal changes. How trees change, who visits during each season and how the season repeats again. Recommended age 2yo+
26. A book on any festival – Christmas At Last! by Sam Hearn and Penny Dann
This is a stocking shaped board book from scholastic. And a family of Bears unwraps presents and find that they have the perfect gift for each one except for the baby.
27. An Informative Book – Now You Know What You Eat by Valorie Fisher
The book has all details of the food that we eat and how it’s made and what it’s made of. It also has facts about vitamins and minerals and their function. Currently Darwin wants to know only about chocolate, after ice cream. After we read this book, we do an everyday activity of asking him how did we get this? How did Amma make it? From where do we get it, etc. Recommended age 2.5yo+
28. A Book on Good Habits – The Crocodile and the Dentist by Taro Gomi
The book is so simple and funny that whenever Darwin reads this book he wants to brush his teeth be it morning, evening or afternoon. Recommended age – when your baby starts growing teeth.
29. A book with Magic – The Girl, the Bear and the Magic Shoes by Julia Donaldson, Illustrated by Lydia Monks
Little Josephine loves to run, and is in need of new shoes. She buys magic shoes and is being chased by a bear. How do the shoes help her and what magic does it hold is the story. Recommended Age 2.5 yrs+.
30. A Bedtime Story – Goodnight World by Nicola Edwards, illustrated by Hannah Tolson
This is new addition to our collection. How do we go to sleep? What’s your routine? How do you say good night in your language? What to do when mom is not near? That’s what this book is about.
Happy Reading
From
Darwin Marx and Divya
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